LOST GENERATION; Children in the AIDS Epidemic
Source: UNAIDS 2003
By 2003 develop and, by 2005,
implement national policies and strategies to build and strengthen
governmental, family and community capacities to provide a supportive
environment for orphans and girls and boys infected and affected by HIV/AIDS,
including by providing appropriate counseling and psychosocial support,
ensuring their enrolment in school and access to shelter, good nutrition and
health and social services on an equal basis with other children; and protect
orphans and vulnerable children from all forms of abuse, violence, explanation,
discrimination, trafficking and loss of inheritance.
Living today (2003)are an
estimated 14 million children who have lost one or both parents due to AIDS.
Approximately 80% of these children-11 million-live in sub-Saharan
However, the orphan crisis is not restricted to that region.
As the number of adults dying of AIDS rises over the next decade, increasing
numbers of orphans will grow up without parental care and love, and be deprived
of their basic rights to shelter, food, health and education. In the world,
huge numbers of children have lost at least one parent to AIDS. Sadly orphans
numbers will increase as the epidemic matures. Forecasts indicate that the
number of children orphaned by AIDS will rise dramatically in the next 10-20
years, especially in southern
Programs should not single out children orphaned by AIDS, since targeting
specific categories of children can result in increased stigmatization and
discrimination. However, to be orphaned by AIDS does create unique
circumstances, not least because these children are more likely than other
orphans to lose both parents, often in relatively quick succession. (Once one
parent has acquired HIV, the other is highly likely to also become infected.)
Very young children orphaned by AIDS may have acquired AIDS themselves, and
children orphaned by AIDS are more likely than other orphans to encounter
stigma and ostracism. The vulnerability of children orphaned by AIDS and that
of their family starts well before the death of a parent. The emotional anguish
of the children begins with their parents distress and progressive illness.
This is compounded as the disease causes drastic changes in family structure,
taking a heavy economic toll, requiring children to become caretakers and
breadwinners, and fueling conflict as a result of stigma, blame and rejection.
Eventually, the children suffer the death of their parent(s), and the emotional
trauma involved. They then have to adjust to a new situation, with little or no
support, or they may suffer exploitation and abuse.
As AIDS tears at the family fabric, assisting ill parents to live longer by
providing appropriate medicine, food and care at home is one of the best ways
to benefit children, particularly as many parents die of opportunistic
infections that are treatable with inexpensive drugs. Home-based care for
people living with HIV/AIDS is a means of addressing not only the health of
those who are ill, but also the economic and psychosocial needs of their
children.
Recent findings show that orphans who have lost both parents are even more
likely to drop out of school and to be drafted into child labour than children
who have lost one parent. Since the family is likely to have become more
impoverished before the death of the parents, the children are often left
destitute one their parents are gone. A situation analysis of children orphaned
by AIDS showed that family structures (which have proved capable of coping with
many social and economic strains over the years) are facing serious problems
with AIDS. Families find it harder to assign substitute parents to children
orphaned by AIDS than to children orphaned by other causes, and to cover the
costs of their education and upkeep. In addition, the children are less inclined
to conditions.
Moreover, the ability to stay in school-so crucial to a childs future-suffers
significantly when a child loses one or both parents. In the late 1990s, a
survey of 646 orphaned and 1239 non-orphans. Among the orphaned children, 56%
of girls and 47% of boys had dropped out of school within 12 months of a
parents death. Girls often drop out of school because they assume the
responsibility for caring for parents who are ill, or because they must look
after household duties in the parents stead, including that of caring for
younger siblings. Other children leave school because they are discriminated
against, are psychologically distraught, or cannot pay the school fees.
Many children appear to be slipped through social safety nets entirely, ending
up in households with no resident adult, or as children might come to
constitute a lost generation of young people who have been marginalized and
excluded for much of their lives.
In order to counter the stigma often direct at children orphaned by AIDS,
efforts should address the needs of all vulnerable children in a community
affected by the epidemic. Areas made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS can and should be
targeted but, within these communities, residents and local government should
provide assistance to the most vulnerable children and house holds, regardless
of the specific causes of vulnerability. Experience shows that successful
programs are those that focused, and respect and protect the rights of the
child.
Growing up in communities disrupted by the epidemic orphans are more likely to
cope if they can live in surroundings that are as familiar, stable and
nurturing as possible. The consensus is that orphans should be cared for in family
units through extended family networks, foster families or adoption. At the
very least, siblings should not be separated, and children should remain in, or
close to, their communities. Even child-headed households be viable, although
hardly ideal, options if given enough community and state support.
While
On the other hand, formal institutions, such as orphanages, have proved to be a
tiny and inadequate part of a response. The financial costs of maintaining
outstrip that of other forms of care, making orphanages an unsustainable
option. Furthermore, such institutions often leave children without the social
and cultural skills they need to function successfully as adults. However,
orphanages can be a last resort, either with no other alternative as a
temporary solution, or one for children with no other alternatives. Where
orphanage do operate, there should be proper registration of children and
monitoring of standards of care.
The extended family can only serve as part of the solution to the mass
orphan-hood if adequately supported by the State, the private sector and the
surrounding community. This need for support is desperate in the worst-hit
regions where the capacities of families are being eroded by economic decline
and dependents in a recent study of AIDS affected household needs following the
death of a mother.
But it is also clear that families are willing to take in an orphan if support
is made available. Support to orphans and other disadvantaged children is a
State obligation under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Such support
can take many forms : free health care and education (or supplements, enhanced
access to microcredit and other forms of financial support.
Empowering affected children first of all means regarding them as active
participants, rather than the mere victims. Many children already function as
heads of households and a caregivers. They are a vital part of the solution and
should be supported in planning and carrying out efforts to mitigate the impact
of HIV/AIDS in their families and communities. For instance, the
community-based organizations which help orphans not only gain skills but also
utilize such skills in order to empower themselves for the future.
Children in households with ill parents should also participate in decision
making regarding their future foster care. This is crucial for succession
planning, which helps parents (who know they are HIV-positive ) prepare for the
future and provide their children with the necessary care and support.
So-called memory books offer valuable psychological benefits; usually
containing important are often jointly created by parents and children.
Much can be done to ensure the legal and human rights of orphans and vulnerable
children. Many communities are now writing wills to protect the inheritance
rights of women and children. Emphasis should be put on the children affected
by HIV/AIDS, with special emphasis on psychosocial support. Many of the children
have poor life skills and exhibit psychosomatic disturbances, depression, very
low self-esteem, disturbed social behavior and hopelessness.
The experiences of these children confirm that the death of a parent (or, worse
still, both parents, as is often the case with AIDS) causes severe trauma and
can stunt children's development.
However, the resilience and coping capacity of these children can be enhanced
with relatively simple, direct and culturally appropriate psychosocial support.
More generally, it is communities that are at the forefront of creating the
scores of orphan-care programs to ensure that vulnerable children have access
to care and support. Most of these projects and programs exist thanks to the
efforts of women's groups, church-based groups and non government organizations.
The challenge of dealing with the rising numbers of orphans and vulnerable
children (e.g providing care to their HIV-positive parents) is beginning to be
addressed on a wide scale. Such initiatives must be carefully executed, with
maximum regard for the best interests of the children and families concerned as
well as for the needs of society.
To generate the rights of orphans and vulnerable children the following should
be emphasized.
- Strengthen protection, care and coping capacities within extended families
and communities.
- Build the capacity of children to meet their own needs
- Reduce stigma and discrimination.
Caring and coping interventions for children and communities must take into
account the long-term nature of AIDS-related problems and impacts. Millions of
children have already lost at least one parent to the epidemic, and millions
more will do so in the years to come. The challenge is to protect their rights
ad enable them to realize their potential.
The Impact of Violence on Children
The violence in our homes and in our society has a damaging impact on
children. Children traumatized by
violence:
- May
become violent and dangerous as a defense within a hostile environment.
- May
become delinquent (e.g. street children)
- Have
a greater risk of developing sexual problems later in life.
- May
become aggressive children, and later aggressive adults.
- Are
more likely to suffer from mental illness and substance abuse.
Violence in war;
In
Experience of war by a child may inflict severe psychological
wounds that can scar a child for life. The psychological wounds can
interrupt development of a child or permanently damage the brain of the child,
especially among those under three years.
Violence in the media
Children are impressionable, especially the young ones below 7
years of age. Persistent exposure to violent scenes in the media can lead
to fear of becoming a victim in some children, while others may develop
aggressive behavior.
In
The
impact of violence in the media may be expressed as:
- Increased
antisocial and aggressive behavior
- Early
sex, prostitution and other sexual problems due to exposure to
pornography.
- Loss
of sensitivity to violence or people suffering from violence.
What are some of the signs or effects of violence and trauma due to
violence?
- Excessive
anger
- Withdrawal
and isolation from other people
- Haunting
memories
- Poor
concentration leading to decline in school performance or in other tasks
- Digestive
problems
- Nightmares and sleep problems
- Confusion and Depression
Let
us do what we can to support the children who have lived at the effects of
violence and provide them with a more nurturing and wholesome future.
